Describing the Glories of Lord Nityananda

Lord Nityananda Prabhu is the most merciful manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition, describing His qualities, His pastimes, and His ontological position is considered essential for spiritual progress. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Nityananda Prabhu is the original spiritual master, and without His mercy, no one can understand the glories of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

The Truth of His Identity

The ācāryas describe Lord Nityananda as belonging to the viṣṇu-tattva category. He is known as the bhakta-svarūpa, the immediate manifestation of Lord Caitanya, who is the bhakta-rūpa. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that Lord Nityananda is none other than Balarāma, the son of Rohiṇī, who appeared to assist Lord Caitanya in His mission of distributing love of Kṛṣṇa. Understanding this fundamental truth is the first step in appreciating His divine glories.

• The bhakta-rupa (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu), the bhakta-svarupa (Sri Nityananda Prabhu) and the bhakta-avatara (Sri Advaita Prabhu) are described as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, His immediate manifestation and His plenary expansion, and They all belong to the Visnu category.
• The Fifth Chapter describes the truth of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, who is none other than Balarama, the son of Rohini.
• In these six verses I have described the truth about Lord Caitanya, whereas in the next five I have described the glory of Lord Nityananda.
• In five verses I have described the principle of Lord Nityananda. Then in the following two verses I describe the glories of Sri Advaita Acarya.

The Cooling Shelter of His Lotus Feet

Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, in his celebrated songs, provides a beautiful description of the nature of Lord Nityananda’s shelter. He describes the shade of Nitāi’s lotus feet as being as cooling and soothing as millions of moons (koṭi-candra suśītala). Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that in the blazing fire of material existence, the mercy of Lord Nityananda provides the only true relief, allowing the soul to find peace and eventually reach the shelter of Lord Govinda.

• Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has sung, nitai pada-kamala, koti-candra susitala, ye chayaya jagat judaya. He describes the shade of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda as being so nice and cooling.
• Therefore who can describe the mercy of the lotus feet of Him (Lord Nityananda) by whom I have attained the shelter of this Lord Govinda?
• Simply by remembering the names of all these branches and subbranches of the three trunks I (Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami) have described (Nityananda, Advaita and Gadadhara), one attains freedom from the entanglement of material existence.

Descriptions of His Ecstatic Pastimes

The pastimes of Lord Nityananda are characterized by intense spiritual emotion. Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura ecstatically described these pastimes in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, and Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī later expanded upon them, including the famous festival of chipped rice and yogurt. Descriptions of His dancing are especially renowned; they were so sweet and transcendental that Lord Caitanya Himself would personally come to witness them.

• No one can properly describe the sweetness of Lord Nityananda's dancing. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally comes to see it.
• He (Vrndavana dasa Thakura) ecstatically described the pastimes of Lord Nityananda (in the Caitanya-bhagavata), but the later pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu remained untold.
• Thus I (Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami) have described the pastimes of Lord Nityananda Prabhu in relation to the celebrated festival of chipped rice and yogurt.
• When Vasudeva Ghosa described Lord Caitanya and Nityananda while performing kirtana, even wood and stone would melt upon hearing it.

The Manifestation of His Mercy

The descriptions of Lord Nityananda also focus on His role within the Pañca-tattva and His specific interactions with the devotees. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī describes the immense power and characteristics of Nityananda Prabhu’s servants, showing that His mercy is not only personal but flows through His devotees. In His home village of Ekacakra, it is described that the Lord even entered into the Deity of Baṅkima Rāya, leaving a lasting physical testament to His presence on earth.

• I (Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami) have thus described the power of the servants of Lord Nityananda. Now I shall describe another characteristic of His mercy.
• The priests of the temple (of Ekacakra-grama) describe that Lord Nityananda Prabhu entered within the body of Bankima Raya and that the deity of Jahnava-mata was therefore later placed on the right side of Bankima Raya.
• In verses 296 through 301 (of CC Adi 17) the emotional devoted service of Sri Nityananda, Sri Advaita Prabhu and others has been fully described.
• I have already described Caitanya's deliverance of the Mayavadi sannyasis in the Seventh Chapter of the Adi-lila, when I described the glories of the Panca-tattva - Sri Caitanya, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadadhara Prabhu and Srivasa.

Conclusion

Describing Lord Nityananda is an act of purification. Whether the description focuses on His philosophical truth as the bhakta-svarūpa, His cooling lotus feet, or His ecstatic dancing, the result is the same: the heart of the listener is melted and drawn closer to Kṛṣṇa. As Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently taught, the mercy of Nitāi is the gateway to the kingdom of God, and through these transcendental descriptions, that gateway is opened for everyone.

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